After fierce fight, Oakland Zoo parcel tax measure fails

Alameda County’s Measure A1, which would have created a parcel tax to fund animal care and educational programs at the Oakland Zoo, set off a stir of claims and counterclaims between zoo officials and local and state environmental groups. Roughly 62 percent of the county’s voters finally voted in favor of the measure—but because it was a tax, that fell short of the two-thirds majority of votes needed for approval.

The arguments over A1 were fierce. Opponents said the zoo already receives millions of dollars in revenue from public funding, making the zoo’s claims of needing additional money from the parcel tax seem unwarranted. They also accused the zoo of purposely writing loopholes into the measure that would have allowed zoo officials to use the parcel tax money for construction, including a controversial expansion into the city’s Knowland Park.